Customer Reviews

Songbird Essentials SEAWFFF734 Weather Bird Feeder

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As others have written, I found this feeder to be very well made, and it definitely keeps the food dry. I thought it a bit expensive, but now that I have it, I realize it is a good value. No more wet food, and wastage is minimal as the seed mostly falls to the lower tray. I initially had a bit of trouble visualizing how this feeder worked, so I have posted a photo of a Goldfinch hanging on the upper food compartment. I appreciate RetAF's comment about putting some food on the lower tray. Actually I shook the feeder gently and some food fell from the container to the lower tray. It was not long until the birds began to feed, and then very quickly learn to get to the upper container. We have an Indigo Bunting that uses it from time to time and he is a sight to behold.

This is really the best bird feeder I have ever seen! The seed stays perfectly dry! No mold! No waste! Wonderful! Extremely sturdy!

Caveat: The birds have to learn how to use it. It took a couple of months for my birds to smarten up. What helped (I think): I filled a conventional tray-style feeder and hung it near the All Weather. When the seed in the tray feeder was gone, I left it hanging empty. The birds were conditioned to find seed in the area. They could see the seed in the All Weather and kept after it until, viola, success.

I like this feeder so well that I'm going to buy a second, AND it's made in the USA!

I had a problem with big birds--mostly starlings and grackles--that don't play well with smaller birds like the morning doves. Terrorized the small ones and then ate everything. Got this one with the special cage accessory and bye-bye bad guys! Took awhile to train the small ones--tossing extra seed into the tray till they figured out how to peck out the seed. Now they love it. I love watching them. And I love the large tube so I don't have to constantly refill to keep them sated and it comes totally apart to clean.

First, the product. I bought the 6-quart version from this supplier. It's not flimsy, as another reviewer suggests, though I don't recommend you test it as I did: the feeder survived an accidental drop from 6 feet, filled with hulled sunflower seed, and did not crack. Equipped with the optional squirrel cage, the feeder continues to stump some very bright squirrels -- squirrels that figured out how to crack the code on my other high-end, supposedly squirrel-proof feeders almost instantly. (In contrast, my birds are a bit dim: It took them more than a week to figure out where to find the seed on the new feeder.)

Second, the seller. The product arrived ahead of schedule and intact. No complaints there.

Third, the manufacturer. Because of the kind of pole I'm using and the aforementioned brilliance of my squirrels, I would do better with a swivel hook. Discovering this cost me the lock washer that came with this feeder, and sifting through leaves and dirt, I could not find it. On a Sunday afternoon, I e-mailed the company, asking whether I could get a new one. To my surprise, I got a letter back from customer service within a few hours, letting me know the company was not only sending me the lock washer but a swivel hook! What can I say? It's customer service on steroids.

So far, this purchase has exceeded my expectations on all fronts. And who knew the feeder would become my own backyard Stanford-Binet?

It took our birds about two months to figure out this feeder. Through that period, the sprinkler system was hitting this thing every day. Not a drop of water got into the seed, so it eliminated our "moldy seed in the bottom of the feeder problem." Interesting is the fact that I found this at our local brick & mortar bird supply store for less money than on Amazon. In any event, if you have a problem with your feeder allowing water or snow to get into it, then this is the one to get to solve your problem.

This is our second All Weather Feeder (4 Qt size). Be warned -- try not to lose the lock washer on the top (the feeder will last longer). I lost the washer early on and the feeder still lasted several years, but the winds had taken their toll on the screw top -- the threads became worn from all the swishing back and forth without having the washer there to keep it tight. The feeder would no longer stay connected to the screw top. If you do lose the washer, don't be lazy like me -- go to the hardware store and buy a replacement.

This feeder holds a lot of seed and several birds can eat from it at the same time. I have seen at least 10 finches on it at a time. It isn't starling-proof, but it will make them work for their food, so they don't monopolize it like they do other feeders.

It definitely protects the seed from rain and snow and the seed doesn't spill out of it during high winds. When the feeder is full, the winds don't move it much either. I have not tried the larger All Weather Feeder, but can't imagine lifting it up the hook in the tree. The 4 Qt is pretty heavy when full.

I love this feeder; I must, since I've paid quite a bit to replace parts of it that have been destroyed by the raccoons that used to constantly knock it down. The problem is that even with the star lock washer in place on top, the hanger on top of the feeder (which screws on) comes unscrewed rather easily -- and it didn't take the raccoons long to figure that out. Anyway, I used rubber cement to glue the star lock washer in place, and I let it spread and build up a little around the washer. The hanger is now somewhat resistant to unscrewing, which is exactly what I wanted. And, if the buggers do knock it done again, at least the star lock washer won't disappear into the undergrowth! By the way, the feeder has held up incredibly well through several falls of up to 20 feet.

I've gone through many big box store feeders over the last few years. The bottom line was that ALL of them resulted in moldy seed within a few weeks. This feeder is keeping the seed dry. No problems with the birds figuring it out either. The small guys (chickadees) are able to get up inside and pick at the seed, which results in a lot of it falling down to the plate below. The bigger birds (cardinals) then can sit on the lower tray and enjoy. The feeder is large enough that I don't have to fill it for over a week. I would highly recommend this product to anyone in the mid-west and norht-east part of the country who has to deal with rain and snow.

Great product! Seed never gets wet, even in heavy rain. All Weather Feeder 4 Qt. - Clear Small birds really like the design. They can sit inside the squirrel guard and not worry about larger birds.

I ordered this feeder along with the seperate squirrel-proof cage.

First off, this feeder is gigantic and fairly ugly.... even uglier with the cage on it.

Secondly, all it is is plastic and a little bit of metal (the hook and screw part)..... it is not worth that much money. I would say a third of what they're charging would be more appropriate.

And the worst part about it is the squirrel-proof cage. It really doesn't look like any of the pictures. The problem is the openings between the grates are only about an inch or so wide!!! How the heck is a cardinal going to fit through there?? To feed, a bird has to actually crawl underneath and "into" this feeder and then reach sky-ward above their heads (another strange thing about this feeder). They can't just perch on the outside and stick their heads through the cage to get at the seed.

If you have money to burn and are interested in feeding incredibly tiny birds without feeding squirrels, then this feeder's for you.